Bruce calls for new efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 11th Sep 2006

Local MP Malcolm Bruce is calling on a new approach to tackle anti-social behaviour in the Gordon area involving the police, Aberdeenshire council and schools.

Following concerns raised by constituents who spoke to Mr Bruce as he conducted a round of surgeries across the Gordon constituency, the MP has written to the Chief Constable of Grampian Police, Colin McKerracher and the Chief Executive of Aberdeenshire Council to ask them to work together in creating a new initiative which will help engage school pupils with their local communities.

Commenting Mr Bruce said:

"After speaking to people from Ellon, Huntly and the surrounding areas, I am very aware of the concern over the rising levels of vandalism, littering and drunkenness involving groups of youths. The recent announcement by Tesco in Inverurie that they are to close early on Friday and Saturday nights underlines the concern that such anti-social behaviour in certain areas in Aberdeenshire is starting to impact on people's everyday lives."

"While the majority of our adolescents are responsible and hard-working, and while it is not just youngsters conducting this anti-social behaviour, there are those who appear high-spirited and thoughtless and are not thinking through the consequences their actions are having on the local community."

"That is why I am asking Grampian Police and Aberdeenshire Council to consider a new joined up approach to engage school pupils at a younger age which will encourage them to take responsibility for their actions and to integrate them more into their local communities."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The text of the letter to Chief Constable McKerracher follows:

Dear Mr. McKerracher,

I have recently completed several surgeries in the Gordon area and was concerned to receive complaints form several constituents- particularly in the Huntly and Ellon areas relating to anti-social behaviour, including drunkenness by youngsters, littering and general vandalism. The constituents all noted that they believe there is a growing problem with disorder in some of our towns and larger villages.

In other communities people have also complained about noise through the night, litter and chewing gum. In Huntly a concerted drive has been made to remove gum but already it is reappearing.

While I acknowledge that this does not indicate a serious crime problem in the Aberdeenshire area, given the disappointing news that Tesco in Inverurie feel they can no longer stay open on Friday and Saturday nights because of drunkenness and disorder, I share those constituents concerns about a possible trend in increasingly anti-social behaviour.

Most of our young people are decent and responsible and others may be just high spirited and thoughtless. Nevertheless, one constituent in particular reminded me of a community driven programme a few years ago in Ellon where the police and council worked with local schools in order to reach school pupils to discuss their community responsibilities

There was an initial positive response as I recall and I would like to enquire if you would be prepared to give the time to consider launching a similar initiative again. I realise that any such initiative would require time and money in order to be a success, as well as a need for it to be regularly sustained in order to engage pupils on an ongoing basis, but I believe that the potential benefits to local communities if there was a concerted drive at community relations to interact between those causing the nuisance and those on the receiving end, could be invaluable.

I realise of course that this will not instantly solve the problems but past experience suggest it can produce a positive response.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Rt Hon Malcolm Bruce MP

Cc: Alan Campbell, Chief Executive Aberdeenshire Council